Unless you’re a whizz with Adobe’s graphics suite yourself, you’re likely to need to hire a graphic designer at some point in your business’s lifespan. While some companies might see the merit of hiring an in-house designer, it’s more likely that, as a small business, you will use a freelancer or external company. Working with a designer can be difficult, especially if they work remotely, but there are ways to make sure you have a good relationship with them and get what you want. By combining clear expressions of what you want and deference to their expertise, you can get what you need out of the project. Try some of these tips for working with a designer before you dive into hiring one.
Find the Right Person
The first thing you should do when you’re looking for a graphic designer is to make sure you pick the right one. You should look for someone who has done work that you like and who is suited to producing graphics for your brand. If they’ve mostly collaborated with musicians, they might not have the right skills to help your IT business. You should spend time talking to them before you take them on to help you decide if they’re right for you. Don’t limit yourself to your local area if you can’t find someone you like. You might find someone who does graphic design in London who’s perfect, even if you have to communicate remotely.
Don’t Rush Things
One big mistake a lot of people make is that designers can knock graphics up in seconds. It might take only a split second for you to ask them to do something, but it could take hours for them to follow your orders. You need to be realistic with timeframes and not expect them to be able to drop everything and make changes within minutes of your request. You can agree on how long the project will take in the beginning, but you should recognize that it will take longer if you drag it out. Don’t expect your designer to be able to bend time to get extra work done within the original timeframe.
Express Your Opinion and Ask Questions
It’s important to get your voice heard when you’re working with a designer. They know what they’re doing on the design and technical front, but they don’t know your brand as well as you do. You should make suggestions and ensure that you have an input into what they’re doing. If you don’t know how to express what you want, show them examples of things you like, to help you demonstrate what you want them to do. But you should also be prepared to hear them tell you that something isn’t technically possible. Asking questions will help you understand their process and will also give them the chance to explain their ideas. Remember that you have hired them because they can do something that you can’t, so it’s just as important for you to listen to them as it is for them to listen to you.
